*Future Empires*🏰 Chapter Seven 'Preparations' Kitanna Heinz Karino,leader of the Rover Empire,her code name General Shark Steel.A caramel type attractive woman of early thirties born in their dimension in a city called Spane.She had an older sister Kitara who she got separated with when they were teens evading from a large rogue assassin army who infiltrated their homes colonising the city. Both of their parents were slaughtered during the blood bath event and both Kitanna and Kitara managed to escape but as time went on during their escape in the tunnels Kitara sacrificed herself to hold off the assassins which were tailing behind them for Kitanna to successfully evade throughout.Before she acted on her sacrifice she gave her little sister a copper 'K' letter necklace "Always be and stay strong for our Karino legacy",Kitara placed the necklace into Kitanna's hand and closed it for her,she tried to resist to leave,her cheeks soaked wet with her tears then she finally escaped unwillingly after realizing that she had no other choice and she ran away. Kitanna glanced at the necklace Kitara gave her for a moment while gearing up in her room,she wore it and proceeded.She covered her body with a black vest,a black leather tight bottom and a black cap,she covered her mouth up to her nose with a black cloth and grabbed her weapons.While somewhere in the East in the Vice Empire,Rex was with his best soldiers at the gear station including both of his daughters and Vince. "This sure is gonna be a total chaos",Linna spoke beside Lara while preparing "You're sure right about that",Lara replied "I wonder how mom would feel if she was still here,like look how we turned out to be,last second we were like punks brats which people at our city saw us as and now we're like unstoppable mercinaries",Linna grabbed her blade and shoved it aside her side arm pocket "Um,I don't know about unstoppable,how about relentless?",Lara suggested as they both laughed "Aw,look at my beautiful charming daughters,gearing up for a war,you've both made me proud every single momentum",Rex stood towards them "Thank you father,for saying the most sensible thing since like a decade",Lara said "Hey Lara,that's disrespectful,I'm sorry about that father my older sister can be sometimes be a little stingy maybe its just because she was raised by an obnoxious father",Linna said as they both laughed a bit "Are you both finished?",Rex folded her arms "I-I think so",Linna tried not to gag "I um I have one more thing to say-" "Hey not now!!",Linna pounded her elbow beside Lara.They both stayed quiet for a moment glancing at each other avoiding to gag "Hahaha,come here jelly beans",Rex opened his arms "Woo,do not go in there",Lara said to Linna pointing to her father "Haha,cut it out Lara",Linna said as they both laughed and sank into their father with a hug "I know that both of you really miss your mother,I do too",Rex said "That's...relevant,even though she sometimes acted the conclusive one",Lara spoke "Yeah,but regardless,she was our mother and your wife,a decisive one actually",Linna laughed a bit,Rex broke the hug and cuffed his hands onto both of their cheeks "I'm so proud of you both,I could cry right now",Rex sniffed a bit "Oh really,go ahead father",Lara replied "I'll go grab some popcorn",Linna said "Okay okay you got me,I'm not always the emotional or sentimental one like your mother,but I do mean it",Rex admitted "We appreciate that father",Linna said "Now,go and make me even more proud",he said walking away to his throne Kitanna walked along the black carpet heading to the Emperor with her full kit outfit prepared with her weapons "My Emperor",she spoke "General,I see you're well prepared for war",he said "I don't know if you haven't noticed yet but Shark Steel is always prepared for anything",she said "Even me back stabbing you?",he asked "I assure you that is already my top priority on my expect the unexpected list" "But how can you expect the unexpected without expecting it?" "You expect the unexpected",she replied "Alright General,go do what you do best",he said and Kitanna nodded a bit and she walked away.On her way in the hallway she bumped into Jessie "Oh,General",he spoke "Jessie,everything alright?",she asked "Uh,no,no,I was just wondering....who was the female representing the Elite Empire?The one with the glasses,is she a secretary or something?" "Don't let that pretty face decept you,she's deadly,vindictive and vernomous.It goes without saying that she's the one I mostly fear....a little bit" "What?You actually have someone you fear?Who would have thought that the greatest rover,the best soldier throughout every Empire Shark Steel is actually afraid of a certain person?" "I'm telling you Jessie,I'm actually pouring specificity plus I'm also a human being not a freaking robot....why,you like her?Well since we're allied with them you could actually get you opening,or maybe you've got eyes on that Hailen lady?" "Well,....maybe" "Want any advice?" "Thanks but....no" "Okay,now if you excuse me,I've got a civil war to prepare.....oh and there's another thing....try to control yourself in battle this time",Kitanna turned around and walked away.Every soldier was gearing up,gates were being reinforced,guarding posts were being upgraded,map plans were being drawn and discussed with strategy whilst the royal elephants were also buckling up "Here let me just....",Shiva repositioned her son's vest "Oh God for christ's sake mom stop cuddling him,he's not a juvenile anymore",Zoe said stuffing her weapons "That's not it,it was just....actually yours its not really...-" "Its fine mom,mine's absolutely fine",Zoe wrapped herself with her arms shielding herself from her mother "Come on sis,she's just trying to help",Vince said "I know that,but we're adults now we can handle ourselves just fine",she replied "Okay if you insist but I don't want to hear a sequel about one of mine who fell in the battlefield and got shot just because their laces weren't tied",Shiva said glancing at Zoe's boots with untied laces. "Uh....um....I....I was gonna tie them,you're....distracting me",she kneeled as she tied them "Whatever",their mother turned around as she scoffed "Um,mom,when's father returning back?",Zoe asked as their mother paused then she turned around "After the Great War",she replied "But that's three years from now",Vince said "Your father has got a tone of load on his back but he assured that he might send a letter",she said "Really?,Aw that's sweet of him even though his absent",Zoe said tightening her waist belt "Ugh typical",Vince scoffed "Soon my sweet bears,soon we'll meet him okay,....now Logan is gonna take charge over the Elite army,don't get too cocky just because of our reputation,be smart,be strategic and elegant,got that?",she questioned "Alright my Queen",Zoe said with a small smile "We'll do whatever we can to survive for us to meet father afterwards",Vince replied "You've got so much fire in you,I love that",she cupped both of his cheeks "Wh-what about me?",Zoe quickly asked "Yeah you too" "Ugh",Zoe scoffed as her mother embraced her with a hug,she held her at arms length.Their father,Shiva's husband Kahil Malean was once the Emperor of the Flute Empire with his wife as the Queen.One day,he thought of a manly plan of his own and he discussed it with his wife,he planned to head out for a quest to learn much more about the outside. Then after a few weeks he sent a letter stating that he had found a lost abandoned strange Empire and he had intentions of enhancing it and his family approved it.They made a few visits to Kahil to his new own empire but as reputations started to grow in other empires they agreed not to meet too often with their children but herself only for them not to attract attension. So Shiva goes there three times per week to spend with her husband while agreeing to bring his son and daughter after the Great War when things will be settled.Whilst somewhere in the West "Make them secure the gates and every exposed guarding post",Fin said heading to the main hall with Stacy behind her "Alright my lord" "And put Vikandar in charge of the army and also the new recruites" "I don't mean to question but,do you really want to put her in such position?",she asked "Yes,she'll handle it,she'll handle anything ,she handled my wife's death,so there's nothing to worry about",he opened both of the doors wide open "I-I'm sorry about that,I didn't mean t bring that up,but she's the only key,your golden egg,the only daughter you have" "Are you assuming what I think you're assuming?You're stating that maybe if I won't make it through the Great War then Vikandar will have to take over because she's the right heir to the throne?",he took a bottle of whiskey and poured it into two glasses "I-I-um,I-",Stacy mummed "If you're assuming that then your judgement is clear as a diamond",he handed her a glass as she took it "Put me!",she said "What?" "Put me,I can handle such position" "I know you can but I won't risk for to be massacred,I know how brilliant you are,you're my secret super weapon,but not now" "Um,are you worried about me my lord?",she asked "Um,what,I-um,its...not that I....maybe,maybe I am",he admitted "Oh,um....that's....nice",Stacy blushed "Um,....drink,drink,maybe it would be our last drink due to the war who knows",he sipped "Haha,yeah maybe",she sipped her glass Julias sat comfortably on his throne with his people awaiting for his speech "My fellow people,the time has come,the civil war which was declared by Rex of the vice empire is now official,that's said,we are still allied with them.So don't you fear,our empire will soon be standing stiff above any other empire on this very soil.Note that I will do everything in my power to fill up this empire into a undisputed fortress,I give you all my word",he explained and the people applauded as they were all dismissed "My king",Lockwood,the General spoke "What is it?" "About Rex,how long do you intend to collude with him?" "For has long as it takes for me to finally get what I want" "How do you suppose we do that?If I may ask honestly?" "Let's just say...as time goes on I will probably have a some help" "Um I hear you,and does that mean your family from that other hidden empire?" "No,this one's different and don't mention what you have just told me to anyone or I'll have your head on a silver platter" "I hear you my lord",he responded as he walked away.All the pirates and every soldier came in the Julias's main hall and stood at the centre "Gentlemen and women,as your emperor I give my pride and all of my support to every single one of you.One this day blood shall be shed,tears and sweat shall fall,for that are the terms and conditions of war.I know this empire is below from any others and as a man I won't complain about how difficult it is to stabilize and strengthen this empire of ours. Instead I will put my blood and sweat for this empire to rise up from the bottom feeding,I'd rather brag about how I'm going to achieve such goal than to whine how impossible it may be.Now,at this dawn,its not like any other dawn,its a dawn of blood and I bet you can already smell its scent way over here. To those who are ready and willing to die and also who will eventually face their fate,I just want to take the liberty of saying that,I'm all proud of you,every single one of you,how you turned out to be and also to our recruites,you're all like my children,brothers,sisters and also friends. After this dawn the first ever civil war,not like any other wars we battled through with and against all these empires.This one has much destruction in it,and we would be a bunch of p***sies to to close our eyes without a damn fight,so let's give them everything we got how we so called bottom feeders are capable of",Julias spoke as all the soldiers raised their fists firmly in air "Let's get ready for war!!"